Wednesday, June 26, 2013

It was one of those clear, crisp nights, when the sky is inky black
and the stars are beautiful, bright pinpoints of light. Spellbound by their clarity and beauty in the
vast darkness of the night, deep appreciation welled up inside me and I thanked
the Lord for His awesome handiwork.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Even when Jesus was “just passing through” crowds gathered, because
his reputation went before him.People
heard about his teachings and his healings and other miracles and wanted to see
for themselves.

In Luke 19:1-10 we learn that Zacchaeus was a “chief tax collector”, a motley lot known
for their dishonesty, extortion, and violence. When he was told Jesus was coming,
he ran outside to catch a glimpse of the man he had heard so much about.

However, Zacchaeus discovered a throng of others ahead of
him. Crowds were an unfriendly place for tax collectors; people often pushed
and shoved and poked these unpopular folks as they passed through. Though Zacchaeus tried, he was too short and couldn’t
see Jesus.

Sometimes we can’t see Jesus either—not because of a
physical crowd of people blocking our way, but because something within us or
around us keeps us from getting close to Him.

Many things can separate us from Jesus:

pride

friendships or other relationships

our need to be in control

possessions

sins we are still holding onto or have committed in the past

wrong priorities, wanting other things more than a
relationship with Christ

lack of commitment

indifference

unforgiveness on our part

fear

pre-conceived ideas

Zacchaeus skirted the crowd, ran ahead, and climbed a tree
so he could see—not a very dignified picture for a tax collector accustomed to
having servants, nice possessions, and getting what he wanted. However, Zacchaeus
did what he had to do in order to see Jesus.

Why was seeing Jesus so important to Zacchaeus? After all,
he was rich. He had a job and a home.
But he obviously felt drawn to Jesus.
He must have still had some unfulfilled need that he felt Jesus could
satisfy.

Jesus knew what was in Zacchaeus heart. We don’t hear of Zacchaeus praying a certain
prayer, but for a tax collector to offer to give away half his belongings reflected
a changed heart.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is
useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.”

2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

Isn’t that what we all want as followers of Jesus—to not
just read God’s Word, but to be transformed by it? John Wesley, in his 1765 Preface toExplanatory Notes upon the Old Testament*, penned sound advice on
how to approach Scripture:

To correctly interpret God’s Word we need God’s Spirit. (2
Peter 1:20-21). Wesley recommends that before we open our Bibles, we seek the Holy
Spirit’s help to understand what we are reading, and conclude our time in God’s
Word by asking Him to engrave God’s truths on our lives.

Just as we need food every day, we need God’s Word daily. Reiterating God’s instructions in
Joshua 1:8, Wesley suggests we read Scripture both in the morning and in the evening,
choosing passages from both the Old and the New Testaments.

Wesley encourages us to note the basic threads of our faith
in the passages we read. We will see how God purposefully wove together His
message from Genesis to Revelation. (John 5:39) As we read, we can keep these
questions in mind:

Which verses help me see my sinful
nature?

How does this scripture dovetail
with Jesus’ sacrifice for my salvation?

What aspects are mentioned of the
new life Jesus offers me?

How am I challenged to holier
living?

Wesley advocates meditating on truths we find in the Bible,
allowing God’s living, active Word to judge the thoughts and attitudes of our
hearts. (Hebrews 4:12) The all-exposing beam of Scripture will prompt both praise
and repentance.

Lastly, the Word of God is a lamp to guide us in our daily
living. (Psalms 119:107) Wesley admonishes us to prayerfully search the Scriptures
with the intention of learning God’s will for our lives, and then determine to
follow it.

As we respond to the Spirit’s gentle (and sometimes not so
gentle) nudges, the Bible will become a powerful tool God uses to remold, refine,
and redirect us.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

I do
all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings.

Do
you not know that in a race all the runners run,

but
only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone
who competes in the games goes into strict training.

They
do it to get a crown that will not last;

but
we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Therefore
I do not run like a man running aimlessly;

I do
not fight like a man beating the air.

No, I
beat my body and make it my slave

so that
after I have preached to others,

I
myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1
Corinthians 9:23-27

Yesterday, as my husband and I attempted to pull out from
our driveway, a group of runners suddenly crested the little hill that comes up
from the YMCA. We waited patiently while nearly a hundred people jogged, ran,
plodded, and puffed by our house. We have no idea how long the run was or what
cause it supported. It was very obvious though that some were giving it their
heart and soul while others were merely tagging along for moral support. A few
runners were barely winded and a couple of them looked as though they were
praying “Just let me survive!”

Paul compares the Christian life to a race. In a race are
athletes who have spent much time, even most of their life, training for the
race. The goal of each one is to win and
receive the prize. They would not go
into the race expecting to win if they hadn’t trained for it.

As Christians we are running in the race of obedience to
Christ. Our goal is to please Him and spend eternity with Him. We must train daily for the race. But how do
we train for the spiritual race of our lives?

Reading God’s Word, talking with Him, trusting in Him,
surrendering our wants and desires to Him, and obeying His commands all
exercise our faith. Studying alongside other Christians and sharing our beliefs with those who ask also tune up our spiritual muscles.

In this race we will fail many times. It will not be easy. But we must keep on, like a runner who trips
and falls but picks himself up and continues to run. We must keep the goal in mind—the goal of
living a life that pleases God.